406 @ \} ') J o , 1 4, ,.... .._'" D l,. . r- 31 . .. 4 0, ' þ .. . LI ..::: (I - -----.. \ ." fj o n ,. , . Þ' of' · .. , - r- '" J r .( .' " -:; , "c Ý.:":::" .r.........: :;. .. (' , . , , ". ":':>':. . \ ,., tf[ "<J \'" "'- , -'-... : ' "m , . . ': . :: .f' . . .: ': '..{.-= . '. '. ^yy t ' ':Þ .I'.^' : ,' ,-- "He's busy now, Doctor. Can you come back later?" Inuch fun apart from a big bath in the middle of a room. Y ou'l] grow into it. Then there are the library and the study, and then your nurseries. Mum- my had a gate put up at the very top of the staIrs, with a blackboard on one side for you to draw on. KATE: That gate isn't there now. MELINDA: We had it taken away. You didn't seem to like it. And we thought you might want to let the floor when you own it. It was meant for you when you were a baby. KATE: I've still got my eyes shut, but dreams are very tiring. Could I have another sausage? Will you? GA VIN: Granny's on a diet. KATE: What's that? GAVIN: Later, again. KATE: Everything's later again. MELINDA: What we're worried about is inflation. Not the way I've got bigger-I come and go-but how much the house may cost to keep up when you inherit it. ACT II Four years later. Kate is eleven gOlng on twelve. The same London . . pub, the same parasol. The same time of summery evening. Soprano voices from the same church rehearsing Han- df'l's "Ode for St. Cecilia's Day." Gavin and Melinda have again brought K ate out to have a drink with them hefore dinner. Noises of cars going hy: more of them than in Act I. Kate, when we catch a glimpse of her helow face level hecause of the diPped car headlights., is wearing jeans and a most English schooL hlazer. G A VIN (to Kate) : Sausage? KATE: Haven't they got frank- furters? GA VIN : Doubt it. MELINDA: Darling, frankfurters aren't good for people anyway. GA VIN: Made of horses' eye balls. KATE: Where could you get us one? I've never had eyeballs. MELINDA: I expect Granddaddy was making it up. Something he'd read KATE: He doesn't do that. Elsie told me she gives him her Daily Mir- ror when she comes to work every day after he's finished the Times, and he's always polite and always reads It but always says you can't believe a thing you read. She agrees, though they both read a terrific lot., don't they? Why does Elsie only come in for the evenings now? MELINDA: It's because of what we were saying to you about inflation. Everything's going up. KATE: And of course you keep on having to get me a new blazer. MELINDA : Your Mummy pays for that. She always wants to know how tall you are. KATE: Where IS she exactly? GAVIN: Russia. KATE: Still? GA VIN: Things take a long time in Russia. KATE: Things take forever every- where. v\That's she doing exactly now? GAVIN: She's dancing and she's writing poetry. Do you write poetry much? KATE: Only sometÌInes. GA VIN: Do you find the house a good place to do it? KATE: I mostly do it in the cup- board outside your bedroom. The one